A Hot Holiday Collection

Prologue

PROLOGUE

LELAND

O livia Hall.

The girl I needed to ask out as a favor to my best friend, Danny. He had fallen instantly in love with Olivia’s BFF, Delia. I wasn't sure how when they’d never actually spoken to each other. Since he was determined to get into Harvard Law and couldn’t divide his focus, he’d gone insane and pretty much decided to stalk the girl.

I figured I could keep him out of jail if I helped out, so I offered to take Olivia on a date to dig for more information. Not that my plan was completely altruistic. Olivia was sexy as hell, smart, and funny. A night in her company would not suck.

Too bad I was asking her out on false pretenses, or sucking might have been on the menu.

Olivia and Delia were just leaving their last class, so I “bumped” into them in the quad. I’d met both of them before because I knew just about everyone on campus. Unlike Danny, I was the life of the fucking party. Don’t get me wrong, I studied and maintained a high GPA, but my degree was in the much less grueling subject of finance. That left me plenty of time to live up the college and Greek life. I didn’t really date, though, because relationships weren’t worth the hassle.

“Good morning, ladies,” I spouted cheerfully as I matched their pace and walked beside them.

“Leland, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Olivia chirped playfully while Delia just smiled and waved.

“I need your help,” I told Olivia in a solemn voice.

“Oh?”

“I’ve been having this recurring nightmare where I’m on a date with a red-headed chick with green eyes and freckles. After dinner, I take her home, where she pulls out a knife and stabs me to death.” I shuddered.

Olivia stopped and looked up at me (at six foot four inches, I towered over her average height), raising an eyebrow. “And you want me to reenact it? Find me a rubber knife, and I’m in.” Her tone was utterly deadpan.

Delia giggled, but I stared at Olivia for a couple of beats, trying to decide if she was fucking with me. One corner of her mouth slipped up before she began walking again, and I chuckled.

“Well, you’re half right,” I said, reaching out to tug on a shoulder-length, bright red lock of hair.

“Just the stabbing part? I don’t know, shouldn’t I get a nice dinner for risking myself by being your real-life nightmare? And by the way, if you lose your shit and I have to punch you to keep you from attacking me, you’ll owe me dessert too.”

I held in a laugh and kept my expression serious as I pretended to think it over. Olivia intrigued me in a way that I’d never experienced before. She really was the whole package.

Finally, I shook my head. “I don’t think having you pretend to kill me will help my nightmares. I suspect that if I take you out to dinner—dessert included—and the night doesn’t end with me bleeding out on the ground—real or pretend—the dream won’t haunt me anymore.”

Olivia was quiet for a few moments, although Delia was trying to hold in her laughter. When I winked at her, she burst out laughing, and while she wasn’t nearly as drop-dead gorgeous as Olivia, I could see what Danny saw in her.

“Okay,” Olivia said, holding out her hand. “I still think stabbing is the way to go, but I’m willing to try it your way.”

“Excellent,” I replied with a grin. I took her hand, and a bolt of electricity shot up my arm and down my body, straight to my dick. Fucking hell. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt desire for a woman, and my body picked this time, this woman?

I’m sure it’s just a fluke or a fleeting moment of attraction. My brain and cock both called me a liar, but I ignored them. I had no choice. I couldn’t get involved with Olivia when I was using her to help out my buddy.

I met her gaze and almost winced at the surprised but curious look in her green eyes. I dropped her hand like it was on fire, and though she tried to hide it, I felt like total shit when her perfect, red lips tipped down.

“I’ll pick you up tonight at seven,” I announced, then tipped a fake hat and jogged in the opposite direction across the quad.

Son of a fucking bitch.

I was so screwed.

When Olivia had opened the door, I’d nearly stumbled backward from my knees going weak.

She had her straight, silky hair pulled up on the top of her head with little pieces floating around her heart-shaped face. The style exposed her neck, and the sight of that pale, freckled skin inexplicably turned my dick to stone. Her green gems were framed with lashes that had been subtly covered with black mascara, making her eye color pop. Her plump lips glistened with clear gloss, and I had to shake my head to get rid of the picture of those plush lips shiny with my come.

She wore a green dress that showcased her curves and matched her eyes with an off-the-shoulder neckline. The skirt fell to mid thigh—a little too short for my liking—and swished when she walked. And then...then there were the strappy black fuck-me heels on her feet. Damn. How the hell was I supposed to stop picturing those heels on my shoulders while I pumped my cock into her until she was screaming my name?

I wondered if she’d decided that since she wouldn’t be stabbing me with a rubber knife, she would kill me with the worst case of blue balls in the history of man.

“You look great,” I croaked. Then I cleared my throat and tried to speak normally. “Are you ready?”

“Let me grab my coat.” She smiled and spun around, flaring her skirt high enough that I caught a peek of her pale-pink panties.

I clenched my jaw as anger grew inside me. I was pissed that someone else might see what should be for my eyes only and mad as hell at myself because I had no right to feel that way. It took a great deal of energy to keep from growling at her to go change.

However, when she returned with a cream wool coat that hung below her knees and buttoned up the front, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The only time she would be without the outerwear for more than a minute or two was when she was seated at the table. Luckily, I’d reserved a round booth in the back of the restaurant where no one would see beneath our table.

I smiled and held out my arm. She laughed as she looped hers through it, and her dazzling smile stunned me for just a second. Then I led her to my car, making sure she didn’t slip on the icy sidewalk along the way.

I have to stop. This is wrong. But fuck, it feels so damn right .

Olivia moaned as my tongue swept into her mouth, and I pulled her over the console in my car to straddle me. Her tits pressed against my chest, and her hands glided up my arms and neck into my short blond hair.

I slipped my hands under her skirt and palmed her deliciously round ass, squeezing the globes and yanking her forward as I bucked my hips.

Be a man and do the right thing , a voice shouted in my head. Then my cock pulsed and hardened even more, silent and still somehow shouting down the logical part of my brain.

“Olivia,” I groaned after ripping my mouth from hers and burying my head in her neck.

“I’m sorry,” she panted as she shifted, trying to move off my lap. “I can’t believe I practically attacked you. I’ve never done that before.”

I whipped my head back and moved my hands to cup her face, forcing her to meet my gaze. “You’re welcome to jump me anytime, baby.” I am in so much fucking trouble. “I love that you haven’t felt like this for another man.” Her cheeks bloomed with pink, and I pressed my lips to hers for a quick, firm kiss. “The truth is...I’ve never felt like this before, either.”

The blush disappeared as her whole face flushed with happiness, her mouth stretched into a wide smile, and her eyes sparkling. “Really?”

My kiss was softer and more languid this time, but we were both shaking by the time I ended it. “Yeah, baby. Now, you better go inside before I can’t control myself anymore.”

Olivia’s gaze dropped for a moment, then she looked up at me through her lashes. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

Yes.

No.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

“I’m not fucking you on our first date,” I told her honestly.

“On our second then?” She winked and wiggled on my dick, making me groan. I was grateful it was nighttime because I couldn’t be sure that my steadily leaking cock hadn’t made a visible mess in my slacks.

I opened my mouth, all ready to tell her there wouldn’t be a second date. Instead, I said, “No.”

Olivia sighed. “You seriously have a third-date rule? You’re a guy. You’re not supposed to be the prude one.”

I laughed and kissed her nose. “Wanting our first time to be special and being a prude are two very, very different things, baby. No one would describe the things I’m doing to you in my head as prudish.”

“Really?” She sat up and grinned at me wickedly. “Like what?”

“Wow, baby. I had no idea you were so naughty.”

She shrugged, and her cheeks tinged with pink. “Neither did I.”

I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the headrest. She was definitely going to kill me. I needed to end this. Maybe once Danny was with Delia, I could ask her out again with a clean slate.

The idea of waiting two years to be with my girl made my heart and cock shrivel—figuratively speaking.

Sighing, I lifted my eyelids and drank in the sight of her beautiful face illuminated from the moonlight. “You are so fucking gorgeous,” I whispered. “I don’t know how to resist you.”

“Then don’t.”

It sounded so simple. My mind began spinning, and I wondered if it was really that simple. Sure, I’d asked her out the first time for devious reasons, but a second date would be because I…I knew exactly what Danny had been talking about.

Olivia was already everything to me, and any future without her in it wouldn’t be worth living.

And maybe I could still help Danny by keeping an eye on Delia. I understood his reasoning and desperation now. If I was in the same position as him, I’d be doing the exact same thing.

Luckily, nothing was holding me back from Olivia. She didn’t ever have to know why I asked her to dinner the first time. All she needed to know was that she now belonged to me.

“Okay, baby.” I dropped my hands to her ass and drew her forward until we were fit snugly together. “But let’s get a few things straight. From this moment, you are mine, do you understand? There will be no other men in your life, and I reserve the right to beat the shit out of anyone I think crosses the line with you.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “You can’t?—”

“I sure as fuck can, Olivia,” I said with a glare. “Now, be good and listen. I’m not finished. You are never to wear this dress in public again. If anyone else sees your underwear, I will lose my fucking mind. And last, I’m warning you right now, I won’t be letting you go. There is no one else for you. Ever.”

She eyed me for a moment then asked, “And does that also mean you’re mine?”

“Fuck yes, it does,” I said firmly. “I’ve been yours since before I met you. I just didn’t know it.”

Oliva beamed and leaned forward to give me a soft kiss. “Then I guess it’s settled.” Her smile was sly when she straightened. “Does that mean we can have first-date sex now?”

I laughed and wrapped her up in a big hug, kissing the top of her head.

“I was serious about making it special, baby. Especially since I’m guessing you’re a virgin?”

Her head bobbed, bumping my chin.

“Then let’s give it some time, baby. We’ll get to know each other a little more and plan a weekend away where I can worship every inch of you.”

Olivia sighed but cuddled in close. “Okay. As long as you promise to do some of the really dirty things you were thinking about all night.”

“I promise,” I vowed with a grin.

We made it halfway through our second date.